Hi, guys!:)

I promised myself that I will make short reviews about new artbooks on my shelf once a week, but whom I'm trying to trick? They're too awesome to wait for so long. And I'm too impatient to resist the opportunity to share. 

So, "Hobbit", by J.R.R. Tolkien. This time I mean him not as a writer, but as a graphic artist too! 

When I was reading Hobbit for the first time I had no idea that Tolkien was an artist as well, and made illustrations for his writing masterpieces. So when I found out this fact of course I dreamed about having books illustrated directly by their author,but this didn't happen. What did - I bought an artbook on Amazon where all the illustrations are included:)

 You know what the best part is at the moment? Ive been talking about inktober so much, and professor himself was a fan of ink as well. So this post also matches this month's challenge medium. And he was brilliant in using it, I mean - how cool is that?:)

The Lonely Mountain, drawing by J.R.R. Tolkien

Probably if professor would take part in the challenge now he would be a star of it:)

What impresses me most is how detailed his art is. In my previous review, when I was talking about Alan Lee's sketchbook I already mentioned him saying that "If you plan an adventure fantasy story - draw the map first, or it will be too late to do it". And here we have the first version of Train's map:

Train's map to the Lonely Mountain, drawing by J.R.R. Tolkien

It's just me or you also think that this hand pointing on a secret door can't belong to an elf? There definitely is something orcish in it.

I love graphic drawings that have marginal sketches on borders. Tricky that it's a type of art I can't yet master myself. Probably first I have to get rid of my "perfect" vision of a picture, it's just my brain resists the opportunity to add something more, some tiny sketches on borders and to let it be inaccurate. But I'll keep trying, after all, such type of "thinking on paper" adds so much life to the final piece.

This is the cover of the book, I already almost forgot to show it. It's of unusual square format (by the way the artbook with Tolkien drawings to the Lord of the Rings has such format as well, I'll be showing it in my next review). This time hardcover is not repeated with super-cover, one  shows the poar to the Lonely Mountain while the second shows the road to Mirkwood. Talking about Mirkwood, by the way, here's another inking:

Mirkwood, drawing by J.R.R. Tolkien

I'd imagine it a bit different, more dark (yes, even more dark) and with more branches that can trap, but in such kind of format the main idea was to show how tall the trees are, touching the shy. And this task is done perfectly. 

The book also includes a wide description af each chapter, leading us to mysteries of Tolkien world step by step. I will not include any text pages here, after all my mail goal is to show art, but if you're a Tolkien fan like me - this book absolutely worths giving it a place on your shelf.

The trolls, drawing by J.R.R. Tolkien

I think I already absolutely convinced you with this one:) See you in the next review, it will be "The Lord of the Rings", with Tolkien graphic art as well:)

Here I would like to add a little message for spammers. 

Do not:

• -thank me for sharing
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• -tell me to "keep it up"
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I have a huge, well oiled banhammer. And I flag for all listed.

I wish you all the best and will be happy if you'll support me with vote:)

Love, Inber